True Blue, Part 10: And Justice For All Worlds

Welcome to the tenth installment of True Blue, our weekly recap of Archie Comics‘ crossover event between the Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man series, “Worlds Unite.” Each installment, we’ll recap the notable moments of the latest chapter in “Worlds Unite” with Archie Action Editor Vincent Lovallo, and take a look at what lies ahead for the next chapter of the crossover event.

Previously in “Worlds Unite,” our dutiful heroes ventured forth into mysterious new universes through Genesis Portals opened by Sigma in hopes to both stop his Unity Engines from activating, and to recruit some help in bringing the bigger bad down. Archie had been promoting the cameos of characters from various Capcom and Sega franchises in the lead up to the crossover, and though we'd been teased with the arrival of Street Fighter's World Warriors, this last chapter was the first time we really saw any of the new faces from these classic games.

Last time, we met with the characters of Ghosts 'n Goblins, Street Fighter, Skies of Arcadia, Alex Kidd and Nights Into Dreams, with each of the worlds offering two champions to rally with Sonic and Mega Man's cause. This time around, we see even more of the variety of licenses under Sega and Capcom, as characters stop over in the worlds of Panzer Dragoon,Breath of Fire, Golden Axe and Viewtiful Joe. Each new world offered a brief glimpse at some familiar faces, though there wasn't as much influence from the good and evil sides as there was in the last chapter. For the most part, everyone recruited in this issue is the protagonist of his or her respective games.

There are some nice moments again that hint at the relationship between Sonic, Mega Man and the new heroes. Billy Hatcher's friend Rolly Roll shares the same name as Rock's sister, Breath of Fire's Ryu has spiky blue hair like Sonic, and Sticks finds companionship from Viewtiful Joe as he too is able to break the fourth wall when necessary. Archie could have chosen from just about any license under the sun for this crossover, but that the creative team brought in characters that have a similar theme or vibe as the main heroes of "Worlds Unite" is a nice touch.

Unfortunately, there's not much actual plot advancement this issue, as most of the time is spent dropping in and out of worlds in an effort to build up the defending forces. There are just two issues left in "Worlds Unite," so every page counts. Seeing some new faces from universes that would likely never get a comic of their own has been nice, but these last two parts probably could have been tightened up a little bit to provide more room to pick up on any number of the dangling threads that have been in place since early in "Worlds Unite."

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ComicsAlliance: This chapter is mostly about recruitment for the cause, but again we see some hints at similarities between the recruited heroes and Sonic and Mega Man. Billy's a little boy with a friend named Roll, Ryu is a spiky blue-haired hero, the cat hunters are in Mega Man and Sonic suits, and even the dragon from Panzer Dragoon is blue. You can't tell me these are mere coincidences again.

Vincent Lovallo: Okay, okay! I will admit that some of those aforementioned similarities are coincidences and some aren’t. The fact that there is also a” Roll” in the Billy Hatcher franchise is a coincidence, but the inclusion of Ryu from Breath of Fire 3 and the Sonic and Mega Man versions of Felyne and Palico were intentionally included. We wanted to include these characters not only so that fans could connect the invisible dots that link them to Sonic and Mega Man, but also because these are really great characters to have alongside the main cast. We were really excited to be able to incorporate these franchises in a way folks haven’t ever seen before. It’s incredible to see them all come together.

CA: Sticks again plays a major role in not one, but two different scenarios this chapter. First, she helps recruit the Monster Hunter monster, then she helps Viewtiful Joe and Sexy Silvia activate their powers. Again and again we see her at the heart of some really important moments during "Worlds Unite." Is there a chance you guys are setting her up to play a role in the Sonic U beyond "Worlds Unite" and the end of Sonic Boom?

VL: I know I’ve touched upon this before, but I want to reiterate that Sticks is sort of a freak-magnet. She is usually seen at the heart of the strangest of scenarios and when she comes back to warn others, nobody believes her, even though she’s always right! She will have another fairly important moment soon, but I’m not telling when or where! You’ve got to read on till the very end!

CA: One of Sticks' more humorous moments is when she claims she's in a scene due to a "plot hole." Was that a moment that happened by accident and then you made light of it after the fact, or was it planned the whole time to be a set piece joke?

VL: That one was planned from the beginning and ties directly into the kind of character Sticks is. She will literally fall into different scenarios by happenstance and not think too much of it, much like how she was pretty laid-back about teaming up with X and the others back in Sonic Boom #8. Embrace the weirdness!

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CA: Back at Lost Hex, the group on Sky Patrol barely escapes Sigma's attack thanks to Metal Sonic's arrival. We know Sonic's distrustful of his Metal doppelganger, but obviously he was summoned here with good reason. Why did they wait so long to bring the powerful creation to the fight?

VL: Eggman never really had much of an opportunity to make contact with Metal Sonic until after the fight on the Sky Patrol. Also, it wasn’t until he and Sonic’s team cooperated to gather the Chaos Emeralds together that he resorted to contacting Metal Sonic.

CA: Next issue is a major milestone, and will mark nearly 23 years of Sonic the Hedgehog comics from Archie. There have been a lot of storylines in that book throughout the years. Where do you think "Worlds Unite" ranks among preceding stories, and how important are events like this for the series?

VL: Oh man, it’s pretty crazy! Comparatively, the other milestones have always had a grand sense of scale to them and I think we are matching that same level of grandness in #275 as well. It’s difficult to rank them because each one is so different, but I can say it is unlike any milestone issue we had before. It’s very important to celebrate these moments for the series because these milestones are not easily reachable. It says a lot that the series has continued as long as it has and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished with this series and I’m also really happy that the fans have been so receptive of it. It’s a wonderful book to be a part of!

And now, get an advanced look at the next chapter of "Worlds Unite," with our exclusive preview of Sonic the Hedgehog #275, coming in two weeks.

CELEBRATE 275 ISSUES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG with his good buddy Mega Man and the worlds of STREET FIGHTER, BILLY HATCHER, NiGHTS INTO DREAMS, MONSTER HUNTER and more in this DOUBLE-SIZED ISSUE! “Worlds Unite” Part Eleven: It’s pan-dimensional pandemonium as the unified army begins their attack on Sigma! Sonic, Mega Man and X lead an all-star roster of heroes from across the SEGA and Capcom universes in an all-out assault against the villainous robot from the future! Will they be enough to save all their worlds, or has Sigma already become a god? Featuring a wrap-around cover from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante! PLUS 5 variant covers from Edwin Huang, Lamar Wells, Tracy Yardley, Rafa Knight and part 11 of the epic 12-part connecting variant cover series by artist Ben Bates! Don’t miss the penultimate chapter to the biggest crossover event in Archie Action history!
On Sale Date: 8/12 | 48-page, full color comic | $4.99 U.S.